The invention relates to a method of processing sheet-like products, in particular generally flat flexible printed products, and to an apparatus for implementing the method.
Sheet-like products, for example printed products, are often transported in the horizontally lying state. In the case of a folded printed product, it is possible for the folded edge to be oriented, for example, toward the front or rear and for the front page to be oriented in each case upward or downward, i.e. there are at least four orientations. In the case of products transported in an imbricated formation, a product is located either on the preceding product, as seen in the conveying direction (normal imbricated formation), or on the following product (inverse imbricated formation), this resulting in a total of at least eight possible formations. However, stations in which the products are further processed, for example insertion means, are often adapted to the printed products being fed in a predetermined orientation, e.g. with the folded edge leading and the front page oriented upward. This orientation very often does not correspond to the orientation in which the products leave the previous process. It is thus necessary for the formation of the products to be changed prior to further processing.
For this purpose, it is known for products which arrive in an imbricated formation to be separated by being accelerated in relation to the rest of the products of the imbricated formation and being rearranged. It is also known for the products to be deformed, in order to change the mutual orientation of the products in relation to the initial formation. In the case of both methods, the products are subjected to comparatively high forces.
The object of the invention is to provide a method of processing sheet-like products, in particular printed products, in which products which are conveyed in an imbricated formation or individually are fed to a further processing station in a predetermined orientation, the intention being for the products to be reoriented gently and with low mechanical outlay.